Ministry was begun in 1985 to establish a Christian presence on the Rosebud Reservation.

Over the years, several pastors saw the deplorable condition of most of the homes.Wanting to provide help to needy families, Tree of Life shifted its emphasis to give more concrete assistance.

In 1995 small volunteer work groups were organized to make repairs to reservation homes. The ministry began to grow and expand its work, continually outgrowing the facilities it owned. Volunteers-in-Missions began coming from all around the United States as word of this ministry spread, and today we find groups coming from 25 different states and 12 different denominations. Seven different universities also offer Tree of Life as an alternative Spring Break, or for cultural sensitivity training.